Sliding couch



Oct. 13, 1925.

A. J. KREUZKAM'P SLIDING COUCH Filed June 223', 1922 2. Sheets-$11691: 1

Oct-13, 1925. 1 1557.460

A. J. KREUZKAMP SLIDING COUCH Filed June 28, 1922" zsheem-shm 2 Patented Oct. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST J. KREUZKAMP, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR T 0 ENGL-ANDER srnrne BED GOM-1?AI\TY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A conroraa'rron on NEW YORK.

SLIDING coUoH.

Application filed June 28, 1922. Serial No. 571,422.

To all whom itmag concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST J; KnnUz- RAMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Couches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible or sliding couch beds, but more particularly to two-part foldable book mattresses therefor, which are opened when the bed is used as a double bed and closed when used as a couch or day bed, the object of the invention being to so construct the book mattresses that the necessity of providing a separate and expensive couch cover to cover the couch in addition to the usual ticking provided to form the mattress sections is eliminated.

One ofthe objects of the invention is the provision of an improved mattress partly covered by one kind of material and partly covered by another and decorative kind of material and providedwith concealing curtains conforming to one of said materials.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved sliding couch bed having an improved book mattress and means for opening and closing the bed and the mattress in which the mattress itself is provided with means for concealing the framework of the bed and the operating means thereof.

The book sections of the mattress have heretofore been made as ordinary mattresses are made, i. e. the filling of hair or cotton has been covered on all sideswith suitable ticking or similar material, so that when the mattresses were closed to form an ordinary couch or day bed, a separate couch cover necessarily had to be used to cover the couch and hide the ticking as well as the framework and operating parts of the bed.

In the present improvement however, the top mattress section has its top, sides and ends formed of a suitable decorative material taking the place of the ordinary ticking while the inner sides of the book sections and the bottom of one section are covered with ticking, and this decorative material is extended at the front and ends of the top section to form depending curtains covering the operating parts and the framework of the bed when the structure is in the form of a couch or day bed. Thus this improved mattress has a part thereof covered by one material and another part thereof covered by a different kind, as a decorative material, the former being of course less expensive than the latter, and is provided with con cealing curtains conforming to one of said materials as the decorative material.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the followingdescription thereof, reference being had to the acompanying drawing forming a part of the specification wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views and wherein Fig. l is a perspective View of a sliding couch bed illustrating my invention and wherein the bed is partially open; Fim

2 is a rear side view thereof when closed; Fig. 3 is an end view of the bed when closed; and Fig. 4 is an end sectional view of the bed when opened.

The use of a separate couch cover as here tofore required has not only resulted in considerable additional expense to the owner but also has caused considerable inconvenience and loss of time in spreading and adjusting the couch cover over the bed. Thus many disadvantages result from the use of the conventional loose couch cover, suchas the cost thereof, the necessity of constant manipulation, inadequate concealment of the bed framework, and lack of attractive and neat appearance.

The present invention eliminates these disadvantages and as a result thereof, the expense to the house-keeper of a separate couch cover which often amounts to ten dollars or more, is avoided, and all of the inconvenience, trouble and annoyance due to the necessity of having to remove and fold up the couch cover every time "the bed is opened for sleeping purposes, and of uni folding and spreading the cover in proper position when the bed is closed, are eliminated. Furthermore in the present invention the mattress and couch cover are always permanently located with relation to each other, and since part of the mattress covering forms part of the couch cover, a considerable additional saving in the cost of material is secured. Also this combined mattress and couch cover presents a more attractive and neater appearance due to the elimination of unsightly folds at the corthe old form of couch cover, the waste of time in the manipulation thereof, and the trouble and inconvenience due to such constant handling.

In the drawings I have illustrated by way of example a sectional mattress embodying my invention in connection with a sliding couch having means for opening and closing the bed and mattress, but it will be understood that the invention is adaptable to other 1 forms of convertible beds. In the present instance the bed comprises a pair of relatively shiftable sections 2 and 3. The main section 2 comprises a pair of end frames 4 connected together by a suitable spring fabric, (not shown), and the sliding section 3 also comprises a pair of end frames 5 connected together by a spring fabric 6. Pivoted at 8 to the main section at opposite ends thereof in a U-shaped bar 7, which is connected to the sliding section 3 for the "purpose of shifting the same by means of links 9 and 10. A pair of sucli links is located at each end of the bed, each link 9 being pivoted at 9 to the bar 7 and pivoted at 11 to a link suitably connected to the sliding section. A further detailed description of the construction of the bed sections is not deemed necessary herein.

The bed is provided with a foldable or book mattress comprising a pair of connected sections 12 and 13 adapted to be opened and closed with the bed. These book sections have heretofore been made as ordinary mattresses are made, i. e. the filling of cotton or hair has been covered on all sides by the same material, as by ticking or like, inexpensive material, so that when closed a separate couch cover had to be used to cover this rather unsightly material.

In the present improvement however, only the inner side of the book mattress sections 12 and 13 and the bottom of the section 12 are covered with this ticking or like material, the opposite or top side of the openable section 13 being covered by a different, such as a suitable decorative material which gives the effect of a couch cover, and this decorative material also covers the outer exposed edges of this top section and thus forms the covering for the filling material and so takes the place of the ordinary ticking and also of a separate couch cover. The material of these exposed edges is extended down to form depending curtains at the front of the book mattress when the sections are closed and at the ends thereof while a similar depending curtain is attached to the bottom book mattress along the rear thereof.

As shown herein, the top covering for the top section of the book mattress and the de pending curtains are in the form of separate pieces, although this is not necessary, and are shown suitably stitched along the desired edges of the top section.

As shown herein, a depending curtain 14 of suitable decorative material, usually conforming to that used for the top of the sec-- tion 13 is secured to the section 12 along one longitudinal side thereof as at 15 and forms a depending curtain at the rear side for concealing the framework. Along the opposite longitudinal side edge of the mattress section 12 is secured a similar depending curtain 16 (see Fig. 3), which conceals the front of the framework when the bed is closed, and while it may be located at any desired point along the front of the book sections when they are closed, it is shown stitched as at 17.

Likewise secured to the ends or shorter sides of the folding book mattress are a pair of depending curtains 19, so located as to conceal the operating bar and its link as well as the end of the framework, and in the present instance they are stitched as at 18 and are shown longer than the depending curtains 14 and 16 secured to the longitudinal side edges of'the mattress sections. These end curtains are movable with the folding or top section 13 of the book mattress and when the bed is closed these end curtains 19 are automatically draped over the ends of the bed, and thus form depending curtains adapted to conceal the framework at the ends and the operating bar and its links.

All of the depending curtains are usually formed of suitable ornamental or decorative material of the same design as the fabric forming the top cover portion 18 of the folded mattress.

In the manufacture of mattresses, the ends and sides thereof are usually formed of separate pieces and stitched to the top and bottom sides of the ticking, and in the present instance the decorative portions of the top mattress may be similarly formed and thedepending curtains either formed there with or simultaneously stitched into position along the desired edge during the stitching of such edge portions.

'The operating bar 7 is connected to the folding mattress section 13 for the purpose of opening and closing the same by means of a pair of fabric flaps or portions 21 and 22 forming part of or secured to the edges of the mattress, and also secured to each other as at 23, thus forming a pocket for the bar 7, and these portions 21 and 22 are of the same decorative material as the top of the mattress section 13, and not only form a means for connecting the bar 7 with the 'mat tress but also conceal the bar.

The mattress covering at the rear edge 24: of the section 12, which is exposed to view will be covered by a similar decorative fabric in the same way that the front edges 25 are covered, thus forming a uniform part of the entire permanent couch cover, although this rear edge 24 may, like the front edge 25 form the upper part of the curtain if desired, this merely depending on whether the mattress sections are made in the usual way or not.

It will be noted that when the bar 7 is swung for the purpose of opening the bed and book mattress the outward movement of the sliding section 3 will cause the front curtain 16 to lay over the top of the sliding section.

/Vhen this sliding section is shifted inwardly beneath the main section the depending curtain 16 will automatically drape itself over the front of the framework as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a sectional mattress having decorative fabric covering portions so constructed and connected thereto as to provide an efiective means for concealing the framework of the bed when closed. These couch cover portions however are constructed to permit the free operation of the sections as well as the mattress, and when the bed is closed the end and front curtains will automatically assume their proper positions without the necessity of any substantial handling or adjustment. An effective combined mattress and couch cover is thus provided which at all times when the bed is closed will present a very attractive and neat appearance, and wherein the fabric means connected at the sides and ends of the mattress effectively conceal the bed framework when the bed is closed, and at the same time permit the openingand closing of the mattress and bed without interference therewith. Thus it will be seen that in the present improvement one depending curtain, flounce or valance as 1 1 is suspended from one edge of one of the book or two-part mattresses as the section 12, which when the bed is closed is the lower section thereof, so that it is not disturbed when the bed is opened or closed, while the other lengthwise extending curtain 16 is suspended at the front edge of the mattress sections when in the form of a couch bed, so that it naturally falls upon the top of the spring mattress 6 of the sliding section .3 and therebetween and its stuffed mattress when the bed is open to form a double bed and is thus out of the way and falls over what may be considered the front of the bed when the bed is closed, while the two end curtains 19 are suspended along the ends of the book mattress, so that they will fall over the operating bar and its connecting links and the framework when the bed is closed, and will be reversed and fall over the ends of the sliding section when the latter is shifted outward, so that at no time is it necessary to handle these curtains in order to permit the proper manipulation of the bed, since as they form a part of the book mattress they will, by reason of the manner in which they are suspended from the book mattress, adjust themselves automatically Thus it will be seen that I have provided an improved mattress in which one part thereof may be formed or covered by a comparatively inexpensive ticking or like material while another part,-namely, the exposed part, is covered by a suitable decorative material having depending curtains for concealing the framework of the bed carrying the mattress, thus doing away with a separate removable and expensive couch cover.

It will be understood that by describing in detail herein any particular form, structure, or arrangement, it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims or the requirements of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

A folding book mattress consisting of two sections, comprising a normally stationary mattress section and a folding mattress section, a depending front curtain secured to the stationary mattress section, a pair of end curtains secured to the ends of the folding section, and a rear curtain secured to the book mattress adjacent to the connected edges of said mattress sections, said end our-- tains and said rear curtain being independently and freely movable to operative position and of sizes to serve with the said front curtain as a continuous valance when the mattress is folded, and said curtains and the top side of the book mattress when the latter is closed being constructed of decorative material, thereby to give the appearance of a mattress cover having valances thereon.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 23 day of June, 1922.

AUGUST J. KREUZKAMP. 

